h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hang on...I've just re-read the post before my one above. You were at school with a squid?!!!

What's the plural of brontosaurus btw?

Either brontosauri or brontosauruses is acceptable.

I would have thought *potentially useful information alert* it was brontosaurs

The name brontosaurus, on the other hand, is not normally recommended, having been replaced by the name apatosaurus. The first finder gets to choose the name and it was not realised for a long time that brontosaurus and apatosaurus were the same creature.

Simulpost Gnomon

You can say either brontosaur (plural brontosaurs) or brontosaurus (plurals brontosauri and brontosauruses).

My research shows that if you stop someone in the street and ask them for the plural of 'octopus' they will say 'octopi'.

My resurch also shows that if you stop someone in the street and ask them for an octupus they run away very quickly...

Of course, the plural of octopus is not octopi, despite what the man on the street thinks. It is octopuses, or if you're classically inclined, octopodes.

But if I see multiple Elvis Presley impersonators driving in luxury Japanese cars I will refer to them as Elvi in Lexi.

Ask him to send me a testimonial!

(Zookeper, writing a letter)

'Please send me two mongooses'. No, wait a minute.....

'Please send me two mongeese'. No, wait a minute....


'Please send me a mongoose.

Yours sincerely,
T. Cooper

PS Please send another one'

Actually, I maintain that people should only be allowed to get away with Latinate plurals (Fora, Indices, etc) if they can also tell me the plural of kangaroo, bungalow, igloo, kindergarten, pizza and opera. (The last one is a trick, of course)

I did not know that!

That's like the plural of data and agenda.

F

Both these are plurals (of datum and agendum - or was that not the point (from a Philistine who would have thought that the plural of opera was opera, rather than, say, operae)

The singular of graffiti - graffito - is an interesting one.

Also paparazzi/paparazzo.

Why wife visited a restaurant where the portions were so small that she went for the Raviolo.

Ah, she should have tried the scampo instead.

F

William Hague's middle name is Jefferson.